Paper-folding machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

- D. APPBL.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

Patented Apr; 20, 1886.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets'8heet 2.

D.APPEL.

- PAPER FOLDING MACHINE. No. 340,077. Patented Apr. 20, 1886-.

ETERB Pmlo-Liifnmphlr, Wuhln um D C UNITED STATES PATENT Orrica DANIEL APPEL, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION PAPER BAG MAOHIN E COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PAPER-FOLDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 340,077, dated April 20, 1886,

Serial No. 177,165. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DANIEL APPEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, county of Ouyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Paper- Folding Machines, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to a folding mechanism which, although adapted for use in any case where it is desired to impart a transverse fold or folds to a moving web or sheet, is es pecially designed and adapted for use in mak- [5 ing the transverse fold or folds necessary in the formation of plain or square or satchelbottom paper bags from'a continuous tube or from tubular blanks. The invention is therefore,in the present case,shown as embodiedin a mechanism of suitable form for making the necessary folds for forming the bottoms of bags.

As afull understanding of the invention can be best imparted by a detailed description of the construction and operation of the mechanism in which it is embodied,all further preliminary description will be omitted and a detailed description given, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a mechanism embodying the invention in a form suitable for making the two transverse folds necessary in forming the bottom of an ordinary satchelbottom bag. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of 5 the same. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating an embodiment of the invention suitable for making the single transverse fold necessary in forming the bottom of a squarebottom bag. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are similar 0 views illustrating modifications in the folding mechanism, which will be hereinafter explained; and Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 are diagrams illustrating the folding operation, which will be hereinafter referred to.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, it is to be understood that the apparatus therein shown consists, principally, of a pair of creasing-rolls, 20 21, a pair of feeding and cutting rolls, 22 23, and two rolls, 2; 25, which are ar- 5o ranged to co-operate with the roll 23, to form two pairs of foldingrolls. These rolls, which are arranged in the relative positions shown, are supported in a suitable frame-work, and are connected by suitable gears, as 28, by which they are driven in unison. The roll 20 is provided with two ordinary creasing-blades, 7 9, and the roll 21 is provided with a yielding covering, 19, in which are formed four creasing-grooves, 6 8, which co-operate, re-

spectively, with the blades 7 9. The roll 21,

as here shown, is of twice the size of the roll 20; but it may be of the same size as the latter or of a greater size than shown. This roll is arranged to run in a vat, 26, which is supplied with water or other liquid, and the vat is provided with a scraper or wiper, 18, which acts to remove all or nearly all of the water from the surface of the roll,except that which is contained in the grooves 6 8. The roll 22 is provided with a severing-blade, 5, and the roll 23 with a co-operating groove, 4: which blade and groove are arranged and act, in the usual manner, to sever the web or tube.

Located just above the roll 24, and at the proper distance in advance of the bite of the rolls 22 23,is a stopping device, 16, which opcrates to arrest the leading end of the sheet or web as it is advanced beyond the rolls 22 23. As shown in these figures,this device consists of a V or U shaped pocket, which is arranged in such position as to receive the end of the web or tube as it is advar el from the rolls 22 23, and located at the side of the roll 25 is a similar stopping device, 17, which is arranged in such position as to receive the folded end of the web or tube as it is advanced from the rolls 23 24. The space between the rolls 20 21 and the rolls 2223 is preferably bridged by a suitable table, as 27, which affords a support for the paper in its passage between the rolls.

The operation of the folding mechanism when thus organized is as follows: For the purpose of this description it will be assumed that the web has been converted into the form of a continuous tube, and that the tube has been partially severed, so as to form bag lengths or blanks A, which are connected to each other by small unsevered portions a, and that each of the blanks A has been provided at its leading end with the usual diamond-fold before it arrives at the rolls 20 21. These preliminary operations may be performed by any of the well-known mechanisms for .that purpose,

such, for. example, as those shown in Letters Patent No. 279,505. As the leading end of the first of the blanks A passes between the rolls 20 21, the blade 7, coacting with the groove 6, will crease the front point of the diamond upon the line m, as shown in Figs. 2 and 11, and as the blank continues to advance, the blade 9,coactiug with the groove 8, will crease the rear point of the diamond, and also the body of the blank, upon the line a, as also shown in Fig. 11. As this creasing takes place the small quantity of waterin the grooves 6 8, which has not. been removed by the scraper 18 will wet the paper on the lines at n, so as to weaken it and cause it to bend or break readily on these lines. As the forward end of the blank is advanced beyond the rolls, 22 23, it will enter the pocket 16 and be stopped thereby, so that as the blank is fed further onward by the rolls it will, by reason of the creasing and wetting, be caused to break or bend downward on the line m, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to be folded on that line into the bite of the rolls 23 24, thus making the first transverse fold of the diamond, as shown in Fig. 7. As the now folded end of the blank is advanced beyond the bite of the'rolls 23 24, it will enter the pocket 17 and be arrested thereby, so that as the blank continues to be advanced by the rolls it will in like manner be bent on the line 12, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and folded upon that line into the bite of the rolls 23 25, thus making the well-known blind-fold, as shown in Fig.8, and completing the bagbottoin. As the leading end of the second blank passes between the rolls 20 21,it will be be creased up the lines m n, as already described, and as it arrives at the bite of the rolls 22 23 the blade 5, coactiug with the groove 4, will sever the small portion a, so as to disconnect the first blank from the next following one, and so the operation will continue to be repeated.

Before the folding operation just described takes place the edges of the diamond fold will be provided with suitable lines of paste, as indicated by the broken lines in Fig. 11, by which the parts will be secured when folded together. The paste for this purpose may be applied to the diamond fold by suitable pasting apparatus interposed between the rolls 20 21,

and 22 23, or it may be applied by the roll 22.

The apparatus just described may be modified considerably as to many of its details without departing from the principle of the invention. 1

Although the operation of the apparatus is rendered much more certain by wet-ting, and thus weakening the creased lines of the paper, yet this wetting is not absolutely essential, particularly when operating upon certain grades of paper. In some cases, therefore, the

vat 26 may be omitted, and in such case the rolls 20 21 may also be omitted, if preferred, the creasing-blades 7 9 being carried by the roll 22, as shown in Fig. 4; or, if preferred,

the blade 7 may be earriedJ-by the :roll 22 and I theblade 9 by the roll 24. The'form of wetting device herein shown is regarded as the best for the purpose; butit is to be understood that any other suitable device may be employed for wetting the paper along the creased end of the web or sheet and co-operating with the rolls 23 24 and 2325 to effect the folding. Two such equivalent forms of stopping devices are illustrated in Figs. 5and 6. In thesecases the stopping devices 16 17 consist ofrolls which are arranged to co-operate with the rolls 24 25 to perform the same function as the pockets.

As shown in Fig. 5, the rolls 16 17 are cut away for a portion of their circumference, so

that for a portion of each revolution they do not run in biting contact with the rolls 24 25.

The rolls 16 17 are so timed that as the leading end of the blank is advanced between the rolls 22 23 and 23 24, respectively, it will enter between the rolls 24 25 and those portions of the rolls 16 17 which are cut away, and will consequently not be nipped between the rolls. By the time, however, that the creased line m has arrived opposite the bite of the rolls 23 24 or the line n, opposite the bite of the rolls 23 25, the full portions of the rolls will come together, so as to nip the end of the blank, and not only stop it, but feed it in the reverse direction, andthus aid in bending it upon the creased line and folding it means-as a cam or an eccentric-by which they will be moved out of contact with the rolls 24 25 for a sufficient length of time to allow the leading end of the sheetor blank to enter between them, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6. Only the roll 16 is shown in this figure, but it is to be understood that the roll 17 may be arranged to operate in the same manner.

As hereinbefore stated, the folding apparatus constituting the present invention may be used for making the single transverse fold necessary in the formation of plain or square bottom bags. An organization of the'apparatus suitable for this purpose is illustrated in Fig. 3. In this case, there being only one fold required, the blade 9 and the roll 25 are omitted, and as in this case it" is necessary that the tube should be so severed as to leave one side projecting beyond the other, the blade 5 and groove 4 are also omitted, and the severing of the tube is effected by means of a striker, 31, which severs the tube unevenly by straining its sides across'the edges of plates 14 15 in the manner shown and device without the aid of a folding-blade or described in Letters Patent No. 138,844, or No. 283,890.

The operation of the folding mechanism when embodied in this form is substantially the same as already described. The tube, either plain or bellows sided, is creased upon the line in by the blade 7, and then passes forward between and beyond the rolls 22 23, where its end enters the pocket 16 and is arrested. As soon as this takes place, the tube will be bent down on the line m and folded into the bite of the rolls 23 24, in passingwhieh rolls its end will be folded over, as shown in Fig. 9. At the proper time the striker 31, passing upward, will strain the sides of the tube across the edges of the plates l4 l5 and sever them, so as to leave the lower side or ply of the freshly-severed end projecting beyond the upper side or ply.

The necessary paste for securing the foldedover end of the tube to the body will be applied in any suitable manner. It may be done by the roll 22. In this case, as in the organization first described, the roll may be substituted for the pocket 16, and in such case the paste may be applied by that roll. In this case, also, the creasing-blade 7 may be carried by the roll 22.

The herein-described folding apparatus can also be used by properly proportion i ligand timing the parts to make the single central trans verse fold necessary in the formation of scamless bottom bags,as shown in Figs. 6 and 10; or,

v in fact, it may be successfully employed in any case where it is desired to make a transverse fold in a web or sheet.

In operating upon a web or sheet of a single ply with the apparatus shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the creasing may in some cases be omitted, particnlarlyif the rolls 16 22 are made of less size than the folding-rolls 23 24, as shown in Fig. 6.

Instead of operating upon a continuous web or tube, the apparatus may operate upon detached sheets or blanks fed to it by hand or otherwise, and in such case the severing mechanism may of course be omitted.

WVhat I claim is- 1. The combination, with a pair of folding rolls, as 23 24, of a feeding mechanism for advancing the web or sheet, a creasing mechanism for creasing the fold line, and a stopping device, as 16, for arresting the leading end of the web or sheet, whereby the fold-line is en tered into the bite of the folding-rolls by the action of the feeding mechanism and stopping similar means to act upon the fold-line, all substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the rolls 22 23 24, arranged to form a pair of feedingrolls and a pair of folding-rolls, of a creasing mechanism for creasing the fold-line, and the stopping device 16, for arresting the leading end of the web or sheet, whereby the fold-line is entered into the bite of the folding-rolls by the action of the feeding-rolls and the stopping device without the aid of a folding-blade or similar device to act upon the fold-line, all substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a pair of foldingrolls, as 23 24, of a feeding mechanism for advancing the web or sheet, a creasing and wetting mechanism for creasing and wetting the fold-line, and a stopping device, as 16, for arresting the leading end of the web or sheet, all substantially as described.

4, The combination, with the rolls 22 23 24, arranged to form a pair of feeding-rolls and a pair of folding-rolls, of a creasing and wetting mechanism for creasing and wetting the foldliue, and the stopping device 16, for arresting the leading end of the web or sheet, all substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the rolls 22 23 24 25, arranged to form a pair of feeding-rolls and two pairs of folding-rolls, of a creasing mechanism for creasing the fold-lines, and the stopping devices 1.6 17, for successively arresting the leading end of the web or sheet, all substantially as described.

6. The combination, with a pair of foldingrolls, as 23 24, of a feeding mechanism for advancing the web or sheet, a creasing mechanism for creasing the fold-line, and a roll, as 16, arranged to co-operate with one of said folding-rolls, to arrest and feed backward the leading end of the web or sheet, all substantially as described.

7. The combination. with a pair of foldingrolls. as 23 24, of a feeding mechanism for advancing the web or sheet. and a roll, as 16, arranged to co-operate with one of said foldingrolls, to arrest and feed backward the leading end of the web or sheet, all substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DANIEL APPEL.

\Vitnesses:

T. H. PALMER, GEO. I-I. GRAHAM. 

